Our Top 13 from 2013

Here at FPIF we’re closing out another year of progressive foreign policy activism and looking ahead to the next.

But before we do, we wanted to share with you some of our most successful articles from the past year. We hope they’re all good reminders of why you read Foreign Policy In Focus.

These pieces touch on nearly every corner of our world. We’ve got stories on war and peace in the Middle East, environmental stewardship in East Asia, trade and immigration in North America, drug liberalization in Latin America, sustainable energy development in Africa, and so much more.

We hope that revisiting these commentaries will help you make sense of the last year and look forward to the next.

Speaking of, if we’re going to make it through the year to come, we’ll need the support of readers like you. We don’t take a cent from governments or corporations, and even generous progressives sometimes overlook the importance of global issues. If you’ve learned from FPIF this year, we hope we can count on you to support us into the next. Really, you’re all we’ve got!

Please donate today. All contributions are 100-percent tax-deductible in the United States. Happy New Year!

On the Fence about Syria? Read This!Peter Certo
As the U.S. debate over intervention in Syria reached a crescendo, FPIF produced this crucial reader on why military intervention would be a big mistake.

The Great Oil SwindleNafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed
Abundant new reserves of oil and gas have seemingly put warnings about “peak oil” to rest, but FPIF contributor Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed argued earlier this year that the era of cheap oil really is over.

Lurching Towards a New Korean WarHyun Lee and Christine HongAs Barack Obama began his second term amid new provocations from North Korea, Hyun Lee and Christine Hong argued that longstanding U.S. policies were actually the key drivers of tension on the Korean peninsula.

The Case Against KerryStephen Zunes
When President Obama nominated John Kerry to lead the Department of State, FPIF columnist Stephen Zunes argued that the nomination was a setback for advocates of international law.

Immigration Reform in 2013 and BeyondOscar Chacon and Amy Shannon
Immigrant rights advocates Oscar Chacon and Amy Shannon thought 2013 would be a big year for immigration reform, but their analysis offers important lessons for 2014 as well.

NAFTA at 20: The New SpinManuel Perez-Rocha and Javier Rojo
We’ve all heard stories about NAFTA’s devastating impacts on U.S. workers, but IPS scholars Manuel Perez-Rocha and Javier Rojo explain here how the trade pact has brought misery to Mexico as well.

The U.S. & Chemical Weapons: No Leg to Stand OnStephen Zunes
As the U.S. geared up to “punish” Syria for the regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons, Stephen Zunes offered this crucial reminder of Washington’s own checkered past with chemical weapons in the Middle East.

At the UN, a Latin American RebellionLaura Carlsen
At this year’s UN General Assembly, FPIF columnist Laura Carlsen observed, Latin American leaders evinced a growing refusal to abide by Washington’s dictates for the hemisphere.

The Audacity of PopeJohn Feffer
Celebrating Pope Francis’ relative liberalism (you know, for a pope), FPIF co-director John Feffer offered three ways the pope can change how Catholics discuss immigration, inequality, and Islam.

In Kurdish Syria, a Different WarDaniel Wagner and Giorgio Cafiero
While the rest of the world watched Syrian regime forces battle the rebels, FPIF contributors Daniel Wagner and Giorgio Cafiero reported on Syria’s other civil war.

Electrifying Africa–But at What Cost to Africans?Emira Woods, Janet Redman, and Elizabeth BastAs the Obama administration geared up to export dirty fossil fuel technologies to Africa, FPIF co-director Emira Woods and IPS expert Janet Redman described what a truly sustainable approach to energy development would look like.